Conventionally, in field of manufacturing semiconductor devices, methods of performing a process, such as an etching process or a film-forming process, by using plasma have been adopted. As one of the methods, a radial line slot antenna (RLSA) type plasma processing apparatus that generates plasma by propagating microwaves from a slot formed in a radial line slot plate into a processing container is well known (for example, refer to Patent Document 1). An RLSA type plasma processing apparatus has an advantage of performing a plasma process on a large-sized semiconductor wafer evenly and rapidly, because plasma of low electron temperature may be evenly generated at a high density. As an example of the plasma process, a process of etching of a substrate surface performed by using an HBr gas is well known. As another example of the plasma process, a process of etching an SiN film formed on a surface of a substrate by using a processing gas including a CF4 gas and a CHF3 gas is well known.
In an RLSA type plasma processing apparatus, microwaves are propagated inside a processing container via a dielectric disposed on a ceiling surface of the processing container. A processing gas introduced in the processing container becomes plasma due to energy of the microwaves, and a surface of a substrate is processed. In general, an introduction unit for introducing the processing gas into the processing container is disposed, for example, in a side surface of the processing container. Recently, an introduction unit for introducing the processing gas has been provided in a ceiling surface of the processing container, in addition to the introduction unit disposed in the side surface of the processing container (for example, refer to Patent Document 2).
Patent Document 3 discloses a parallel plate type plasma processing apparatus. In the parallel plate type plasma etching apparatus, a pair of an upper electrode and a lower electrode that are parallel with each other are provided in a processing container, a radio frequency is applied to the lower electrode, and at the same time, a substrate is placed on the lower electrode to be etched. In order to improve uniformity within a surface of the etched substrate, the upper electrode is divided into a center region for supplying a processing gas to a center of the substrate, and a peripheral region for supplying the processing gas to a peripheral portion of the substrate. In addition, a ratio between introducing amounts of the processing gas to the center portion and the peripheral portion is controlled (Radial distribution control (RDC)).
(Patent Document 1) Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2009-99807
(Patent Document 2) Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2008-251660
(Patent Document 3) Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2009-117477